House



(N9 Model.)

G. WESTINGHOUSE, Jr.

ELECTRIC METER.

No. 388,678. Patented May 29,1888.

N. PETERS. Phnlod ihognphan Washingmm D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, JR, 0F PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC M ETER.

S'EECIFICA'I'ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 383,678, dated May 29, 1888.

Application filed June 16, 1887. Serial No. 524L459. (No model.)

1' 0 (1% whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE Wnsrme- HOUSE, J r.,aeitizen of the United States, residing in Pittsburg, Allegheny county, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Meters, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to apparatus for registering the quantity of electricity used for operating translating devices or consumed in any given circuit.

The invention comprises a disk or circular plane which is caused to revolve at a determinate and uniform speed, against the face of which bears a roller having in some instances the general form of a prolate spheroid. The periphery of this roller is in frictional contact with the face of the disk or revolving surface at a point which is more or less distant from its center by the action of appropriate mechanism as the current traversing the apparatus is increased or diminished. The roller receives a movement of rotation from the disk by friction, and is thus caused to turn upon its axis at a rate of rotation dependent upon the distance of its periphery contact from the center of the revolving surface against which it bears. The rate of revolution is further dependent upon the circumferential measure of the roller in the plane of its point of contact with the face of the disk at any given moment. The revolutions of the roller are communicated to appropriate registering devices, which serve to show at anytime the quantity of electricity which has traversed the apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of such portions of a meter as are necessary to illustrate the invention, and Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.

Referring to the figures, A represents a suit able box or case inclosing a chronometric movement of any suitable character adapted to revolve a disk, B, upon its axis 1) at a determinate and uniform rate of speed. A roller, C, bears against the face of the disk B. This roller has the general form of a prolate spheroid, and turns upon its axis 0 0", one end, 0', of which is mounted in a stirrup, d, depending from the shorter arm of a lever, E. The same end of the axis passes between two ver tical guides, c 0*, and is capable of vertical but not of lateral movement with reference to them. The other end, 0 of the axis passes between similar guides, c and 0. The extremity c of the axis is journaled at d in a bracket, d, fixed to the case A and serving to support the axis when no electric current is passing.

It will be evident that when the axis of the spheriodical roller Ois horizontal and its greatest diameter is coincident with the center of rotation of the disk '13 no movement will be communicated to it by the revolution of the disk. If, however, the end 0 of the axis be raised and the end 0" lowered, the point of contact both upon the disk and upon the roller will be changed, and the latter will revolve at a rate of speed dependent upon two separate factorsnamely, the radial distance from the center of revolution of the disk to the point of contact, and upon the circumference of the roller in the plane intersecting its point of contact. This last factor may be modified, or may be made to suit the requirements of individual cases, by varying the proportions of'the ellipse which forms the longitudinal section of the roller. The rate of revolution will be propor tionally greater as the circumference at the point of contact becomes less, and vice versa.

The motion of the roller 0 is communicated to a counting, indicating, or registering mechanism of any suit-able character or of any wellknown construction. This may be effected through the instrumentality of a pinion, f, upon the end of the axis of the roller O,which engages with a toothed wheel, f, of the indi cating mechanism. The engagement of the pinionf with the wheel is such that the move ments arising from the rocking of the roller 0 will not interfere with the proper transmission of the motion, and it is for this purpose preferably placed on one side of the wheel, as shown.

In order to shift the point of contact between the roller 0 and the disk B, so that its position will bear a definite relation to the strength of current which is being measured, a coil or solenoid, G, of thick conducting-wire, is included in the direct circuit of the generator or other source of supply, H. For instance, a conductor, L, may lead from one pole of the source through the coil G to the ICO passingthrough to supply the Work circuit K K. A supplementary coil, G, of thin insulated wire having a large number of turns, may be connected across from the conductor L to the return conductor L and this coil also acts in the same manner upon the core lhe core 9 is suspended by a link, 9', from one arm of the pivoted lever E in such man-' her that as it is drawn farther into the coils the lever will turn upon its fulcrum e,and thus raise the oppositeend 0 of the axis of the roller 0 against the action of the adjustable counter-balanceW,applied to the other arm of the lever E; hence it will be understood that the angular position of the axis of the roller 0 depends upon the value of the current traversing the apparatus, and the rate of rcvolu tion of the roller 0 will be determined by its position with reference to the center of revolution of the disk B. I

The several parts are so adj ustcd thatwhen no current is being consumed in the work-cireuit the roller 0 will bear directly against the center of revolution of the disk B, and eonsequeutly no motion will be communicated 1. The combination, with a revolving plane, of a spheroidical roller in frictional. contact with the face thereof, registering mechanism receiving its motion through said contact, and means for adjusting the angular position of the axis of said roller with reference to the plane of the disk in accordance with variations in the force to be measured.

2. In a meter, the combination, with a re- 'volving plane, of a spheroidical roller in frictional contact with the face thereof, and means for varying the angular position of the axis of said roller with reference to the plane of the disk, thereby causing the point of contact to be moved toward and from the center of revolution of said plane.

3. Inca meter, the combination,with the revolving disk B, of the spheroidical roller 0, in frictional contact with the face of said disk, the stirrup d, supporting one end of the axis of said roller, and means for raising and lowering said end through said stirrup by variations in the force to be measured.

4. The combination of a revolving plane, a spheroidical roller in frictional contact with the face thereof, a magnetizing solenoid and core movable with relation to each other under the influence of an electric current, and

means for communicating movements thus 

